The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-01-07


regaining his breath with some difficulty.
"A.chasin' me down with tibet ar prod on yer
gun, an threatenin' to stick it inter me II
every jump. Only wanted ter see me run,
did yerr
70, mister, only done it because wus
ordered to- couldn't help myself; swear
couldn't"
"Whar's the ossifers thet WIZ a-orderin'
YET Whar's the captins that wuz putin ye
up ter hits Thar want no one in q mile OF
ye. Guess we'd better shoot ye"
Again Joe raised his voice In abject aE''
peal for mercy. There was nothing he was
not willing to promise il his life were only
spared.
"Wouldn't hit be better ter bay'net him?'
suggested one Of the Confederates, entirely
unmoved, as his comrades were, by Joe's
piteous pleadings. "Ef we go ter shootin'
round yere hitll likely bring the Yankees
right onter u.s."
II 'spect hit would be better ter take him
back little ways, any way" said the man
whom Joe had pursued. "Pick up his gun
thar, Eph. Come along, you, an be monty
peart about hit, fur we're in a powerful bad
frame O mind ter be fooled with. wouldn't
gin fi'-penny-bit fur all yer blue-bellied
life's worth The boys ar jest pizen mad
from seein' SO many O. thar kin and folks
killed by yer crowd O thievin' Hessians"
Grateful for even momentary respite,
Joe rose from his knees with alacrity and
humbly followed one of the Confederates
along the path. The others strobe behind,
and occasionally spurred him into a more
rapid pace with prick from their bayonets
"O-ough, mister, don't do that! Don't,
please! You don't know how it hurts. I
amt got no rhinoceros skin to stand such jabs
as that. That come purity nigh goin' clean
through to my heart" s1'
"Skeet ahead faster, then, or the next
punch'll go right smack through We, fur
sartin. Et yer skins SO tender, what are ye
doin' in the army!"
They climbed the mountain laboriously,
and started down on the other side. About
midway in the descent they came upon de-
serted cabin standing near the side of the road.
"By the Lord Harry" said one of the Con-
federates, I'm almost done clean gin out. so
l am. Pm tireder nor claybank boss arter
hard days plowin an I'm ez dry ez lime
kiln. motion that we stop yere an take O
rest We kin put our Yank in the house
thar and keep him. I wonder whar the spring
is tibet the folks tibet lived yere got thar water
from!"
Leaving one of the men to guard the pris-
oner, the rest of the Confederates started for
the hollow in search of water to cool their
burning thirst.
They had gained such distance from the
scene of the fight, and were in such an out-of-
the-way place, that the thought of being
overtaken did not obtrude itself for an in
oif,or f1,oi,. ,,,iY, Too'c
But as they came back up the hill, with a
gourd full of spring water for their compan-
ion they were amazed to see party Of blue
coats appear around the bend of the road at
a little distance. They dropped the gourd of
water, and yelled to the man on guard:
"Kill the Yank, an run for yer life!" and
disappeared themselves in the direction of the
spring.
The guard comprehended the situation and
the order. He fired his gun at Joe, but with
such nervous haste as to destroy the aim and
send the charge into the puncheon foot be-
You'd his intended victim, and then ran off
with all speed to join his companions. The
Union boys sent few dropping shots after
him, all of which missed their mark.
Joe managed to recover his nerves and
wits sufficiently to stagger to the door as his
comrades came up, and grasp one of the guns
the Confederates had left.
Questions and congratulations were show
cred upon him, hut he replied incoherently,
and gasped request for water, as If hewere
perishing from thirst. While some hunted
for this, others sought for traces of the Con-
federates; so he gained time to fix up fairly
presentable story of desperate and longcon-
tinued bayonet struggle in which he was be-
having with the greatest gallantry, although
nearly hopeless of success, when the arrival of
help changed the aspect of matters. He had
so many gaping wounds to confirm the truth
of his story that it was implicitly believed,
and he was taken back to camp as one of the
foremost heroes of that eventful day. The
colonel made him sergeant as soon as he
heard the tale, and regretted much that he
could not initiate the example of the great
Napoleon and raise him to commission on
the scene of his valiant exploits. His cot at
the hospital was daily visited by numbers Of
comrades, to whom he repeated his
glowing account of the fight, with marked i'm
in manner and detail accompany
ing every repetition.
He had no desire to leave the hospital dur
inc his term of service, but his hurts were all
superb ial and healed rapidly, SO that in u
fortnight's time the surgeon pronounced him
1t to return to duty. He cursed inwardly
hat officers zeal in keeping the ranks as full
Is possible, and went back to his company to
ind it preparing to 60 into another fight.
"Hello, Joe," said his comrades, awful
glad to see you back. Now you'll have
,hance to get your revenge on those fellows.
rhere'll bc enough of us with you to see that
you get a fair fight"
ITO the devil with their revenge and fair
ight!" said Joe to himself. That evening he
troled around to the headquarters tent and |
aid to the commander of the regiment:
"Colonel, the doctor seems to think that I'm |
it to return to duty, but don't feel all right |
ret. Eve numbness in my legs, so that kin |
hardly walk sometimes. It's my old rheu-
natics, stirred up by sleeping out in the night |
ir. hear that the man who's been drivin' |
he headquarters wagon has had to go to the
ospital. want to be at something, even if |
can't do duty in the ranks, and I'd Nike to
AXE his place till him and me gets WELL"
"Al right, sergeant. You can have the
lace as long as you wish, or any other that
an give you. can't do too much for SO
rave a man."
So it happened that in the next fight the
egiment was not gratified by any thrilling
pisodes of sanguinary, single handed COM
ats between the indomitable Joe and
Confederates.
He had deferred his revenge" indefinitely.